Allamah Shah Muhammad Isma’il Shahid Translated by Shaykh Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi

Fourth Issue

• To engage oneself in ‘ulum aliyyah (auxiliary sciences) like learning the Arabic sciences to a necessary extent which help understand the apparent meaning of the Qur’an and Sunnah;

• similarly, to engage oneself in Sufi practices and litanies (ashghal wa adhkar) to a necessary extent, for example, causing motion in the six lata’if through silent dhikr, or for example, yad dasht which is also called pas anfas, and always concentrating one’s attention on the heart, which is beneficial in acquiring the reality of ihsan, and this ihsan is established by the outward of the Qur’an and Sunnah;

• likewise, training with martial weapons like artillery, gun, pistol, etc. which can be used in fighting against the disbelievers;

all these are not from the category of bid‘ah, because although these things are invented and originated, but they are not from the category of religious matters. Thus, if anyone practices them considering them as religious matters, these will certainly be bid’ah with respect to him. Considering them matters of religion means that, instead of considering them a means and path to jihad [and the other objectives], one determines those very things as commendable religious practices.

The explanation of this synopsis is that there are two types of means and paths to religious matters:

1. The first category are those that are themselves recommended by the Shari‘ah and are commendable acts of religion. For example, although acquiring the quality of purity from wudu and ghusl are from the means and conditions of Salah, but they are themselves acts which the Shari‘ah has praised, as the Lord Almighty says: “Verily, Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean” (2:222) and the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Purity is half of faith.” Likewise, although the recitation of the Qur’an is a means of deliberation, contemplation (fikr) and pondering (tadabbur), but that itself is a great act of worship. And although engaging in the study of hadith and Prophetic biography is a means to practicing and following the Sunnah, but in and of itself that is a praiseworthy act in the Shari‘ah.  Similarly, although i‘tikaf is a means and path to catching the congregational prayers and dedicating one’s time to the remembrance of Allah, but it is also itself is a type of obedience.

1. The second type of means are those that are themselves absolutely not from the category of worship, but if performed with the intention of a means to an [established] act of worship, they will be included in worship (‘ibadah) indirectly. For example, traveling for Hajj, going to the market with the intention of going to the mosque, drawing water from a well with the intention of wudu, writing commendatory letters or requests to the rulers on behalf of the needy, and likewise adopting any handicraft ‎ and work to use the income for helping religion or the poor. Thus, traveling and touring cities and countries, walking in markets, drawing water from a well, getting expertise in writing letters and recommendations and other occupations and handicrafts like blacksmithing, dyeing, tailoring, etc, are not themselves worship, rather they are either included in sports and futile play or works for livelihood; that is, putting a lot of effort into them or immersing oneself in it beyond limit makes the hearts hard and the soul heedless and creates estrangement towards the transcendent realm. Thus, all the aforementioned things are contained in the second category and not the first category. So, anyone who counts it among the first kind, these acts will become actual and real bid‘ah (bid‘ah asliyyah haqiqiyyah) with respect to him.

It should also be known that means and paths [to religious matters] are of two kinds:

1. The means of the first kind are those that if help is taken from them, the objectives are made complete, meaning if the mentioned objectives are achieved through those means, this creates such beauty and perfection in the sight of the lawgiver that would not be created if those means are not utilized. For example, bathing, wearing new clothes, applying perfume for Jum’ah and ‘Id prayers; to climb an elevated place for giving adhan; giving adhan and iqamah and preparing a mosque for congregation; making congregation for Salah and joining the congregation and by straightening the row making it perfect; performing wudu for the remembrance of the divine and reciting the Qur’an; and generating a beautiful voice for the recitation of the Qur’an; and reciting the Qur’an for contemplation; electing an imam (leader) for jihad and obeying him. Like these, there are countless other acts the purpose of which is to perfect original acts of worship, and due to the absence of these means, some deficiency permeates the original acts of worship in the eyes of the lawgiver.

1. The means of the second kind are those that are used on the basis that its doer is in need of it, or he is deficient in understanding the main objective of the act of worship or he does not have the ability to understand it, and if the objective is achieved without any means or medium, it neither affects the beauty and perfection of the objective nor decreases the grade and status of the doer, i.e. the status and grade of one who performs this worship without using these means and mediums is in no way lesser than one who does so using these means and mediums. For example, drawing water from a well for wudu, as one who performed wudu sitting at the bank of a river, his cleanliness and purity is in no way less than the purity and cleanliness of the one who drew water from a well and performed wudu. The same is the case with one who has a weak eyesight and uses spectacles or one who is uneducated and because of this searches for a Qur’an with vowels. Teaching alphabets to children also falls in the same category. The same applies to the weapons which are used in wars from a distance like arrows, rockets, artilleries, guns and other such weapons which are used to attack an enemy from a distance.

The sign and mark of such means is that once the objective is achieved, it will be considered nonsense and futile to use the means. Or if there arises any other means to achieve the objective, it will be foolish to delay the objective and wait for the means [used previously]. Likewise, upon acquiring the objectives, in the situation where one is praised [for those objectives], mentioning those means which were used as an aid to attain those objectives is a kind of idiocy. It will also be silly if based purely on using those means one is given preference over another. For example a person has excelled in the recitation of the Glorious Qur’an, so now for him to recite by spelling [each letter and vowel] is futile. Similarly, if a Muslim is standing in the row of jihad with an Indian sword while a disbeliever comes within the reach of his sword, it will be mere folly to delay killing the enemy and to wait for an arrow, gun or Isfahani sword.

A similar example is that Zayd and ‘Amr both recite the Glorious Qur’an while looking in the mushaf, but ‘Amr used glasses due to weak eyesight, so it will be outright stupidity to mention his glasses while praising his recitation, e.g. somebody says thusly: “Glory by to Allah! How respectfully ‘Amr recites the Mighty Qur’an that he performs fresh wudu and sitting with complete humility and concentration in the mosque, opening the Glorious Qur’an and wearing his glasses, he recites…” or he explains thusly: “Although Zayd and ‘Amr are equal in the excellence of the recitation of the Qur’an, pronouncing the letters with tajwid, in humility and concentration, and also in penetration and pondering and the sweetness of voice, but ‘Amr is better than Zayd in recitation since he recites after wearing glasses” or he says thusly: “‘Amr recites from the Glorious Qur’an with vowels [and is thus superior].”

Once this introduction has finished, it should be known that the abovementioned acts, i.e. ‘ulum aliyyah (auxiliary sciences), the Sufi practices and litanies and modern invented weapons are all related to the second type because the need for the utilization of these means arises because the people of our time are unable to achieve the real goal without these means. These matters are not related to the first type that they perfect the Qur’anic sciences or by means of them the stages of ihsan are accomplished or that these are the desirable acts of jihad.

If anyone counts the abovementioned acts from amongst the first type and mentions them while describing the merits and virtues of the pious ‘ulama and mujahidin and based on these matters he gives preference to one person over another and to prove greater right of imamate he cites those matters and sciences, then all these matters will turn into real bid‘ah with respect to him.

It should also be known that getting training of weapons and arms used in wars is more important than all the above mentioned means, and it is more appropriate relative to the other abovementioned means to spread and promote, because they are from the means and paths of jihad, and the basis of jihad is spreading and promoting [these weapons].

Next [in importance] are ‘ulum aliyyah (auxiliary sciences).

The Sufi practices remain. It is appropriate to keep them hidden since there are [Sufi] sayings [that impress on this] which state: “The hand is [engaged] in work and the heart in the remembrance of the Beloved,” and: “Seclusion [with the Divine] while in a gathering.” Therefore, making khanqahs for them [i.e. the Sufi practices] and gathering people for them and inviting them is not good and a work worthy of praise. These are low in the levels of preserving religious matters. Rather, what should be done is during the instruction and teaching of the Book and Sunnah, those principles of the objectives of ihsan are poured into the hearts, and they should be taught to the students without considering the specific practices of the Sufis of a tariqah, and without observing a particular formality, and without distinguishing any one tariqah from the other tariqahs, and without calling to this specific tariqah, so that along with occupation in one’s worldly and otherworldly works, those [practices] are also exercised. Thus, if someone does not observe and preserve the abovementioned levels [of the different means], these abovementioned means will be descriptive bid‘ah (bid‘ah wasfiyyah) with respect to him [and not “real bid‘ah”].

It also ought to be known that there should be a certain belief that such-and-such a thing is from the foundational objectives and another is from those acts which complete them and another is from their necessary means. Although this is a hidden matter [since belief is in the heart], and the basis of anything being Sunnah and bid‘ah revolves around this, yet some outward matters also come within the [parameters of] “belief” in this issue. For example, counting the auxiliary sciences amongst the sciences of Shari‘ah, and based on the auxiliary sciences issuing praise, and being happy at the one skilled in these sciences that he will be included in the group of those  scholars whose praise is due to [knowledge of] the Book and Sunnah, or to give good news to another about him being included in the group of those scholars, and to give him that respect and honor which is given to scholars of religion, and to lower and criticize those who are not talented in these [auxiliary sciences] even though by listening to the scholars of religion or by reading the translation of Qur’an and hadith he has acquired knowledge of religious rulings[1]. For example, a person called Zayd has complete skill in the auxiliary sciences [like Sarf, Nahw, etc.] but has no knowledge of the rulings of religion. On the other hand, a second person called ‘Amr, in the abovementioned way [i.e. by listening to scholars and reading translations], has good knowledge of religious laws but is unaware of the auxiliary sciences. Thus, counting Zayd amongst the scholars and ‘Amr amongst the ignorant, meaning in the occasions of respect and honor, or the credibility of the speech [of either of them] on the occasion of commanding good or issuing fatwa, or on the occasion of choosing an imam for Salah, or if Zayd opens his mouth in a debate on religious laws or has a discussion on them it will be considered respectful and courteous and if it was the other way round and ‘Amr discussed religious laws he will be counted amongst the irreverent and disrespectful; these examples regarding the aforementioned matters will be counted amongst effectual bid‘ah (bid‘ah hukmiyyah) The practices of the Sufis should be analogized to this.

Idah al-Haq al-Sarih[2], p.137-146

[1] A hadith states: “Knowledge [‘ilm] is [restricted] to three, and all that is besides them is excess: a decisive verse [i.e. Qur’an], an established Sunnah [i.e. Hadith] and a fair obligation [i.e. Fiqh].” (Abu Dawud)

[2] Imam Anwar Shah Kashmiri, praised the work Idah al-Haqq al-Sarih for its academic worth in refuting innovations in his well-known Fayd al-Bari.  He wrote, “Bid‘ah is what its founder invents with a good intention and it becomes mixed up with the Shari‘ah. Refer for this Idah al-Haq al-Sarih by Shah Isma‘il and Kitab al-I‘tisam by Al-Shatibi.”(Fayd al-Bari, 5:540) ‘Allamah Sayyid Yusuf Banuri mentions in the preface of Urdu translation that some parts of this book are superior to Al-I’tisam of Imam Shatibi

http://barelwism.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/ashgal-of-sufiya-and-bidah/

By E ISLAM (www.eislam.co.za)

The meaning of Itikaf is to seclude oneself in the Masjid with the express niyyah (intention) of Itikaf.

Allah Ta’ala has indeed in His perfect wisdom created humanity in a unique way. He has made it such that from time to time His creation needs a rest. We rest at night to give our bodies time to recover. Birds retire to their nests, horses to their stables, bees to their hives etc. However there comes a time when more intensive rest or a retreat is required. Sometimes due to a person’s physical condition he is admitted into the intensive care unit allowing his body time to recover.

Likewise the soul also needs to recover from the hustle and bustle of the world, the spiritual pollution caused by evil elements of society, the rat race of wanting, desiring and acquiring more of this world and the distractions that has diverted our mind, heart and soul from the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Intensive Care Unit(ICU) for the soul is the Masjid and Itikaf is the feature within this ICU to allow the soul to not only recover but be spiritually rejuvenated! Itikaf is indeed a Spiritual Retreat!

Inside each and every human being, a constant battle rages. It is like a battle between two tigers. One tiger is a manifestation of evil. It is full of hate, lust, and greed. It’s fangs drip with bitterness and strife. The other tiger is an embodiment of good. It is full of love, compassion, and honesty. He never betrays his brother.

These two tigers are constantly at war. Which tiger is going to win the battle?

The answer is quite obvious…. Whichever one you feed.

Our soul is being bombarded by forces of good and evil. We need to feed it good so that it overpowers the evil….and Itikaf is indeed an excellent opportunity to achieve this by feeding and nourishing the soul with good deeds.

Since the life of the transient world keeps us busy for the whole year in studies, work, social functions, business, traveling and other such things that often causes us to be negligent of our souls and the next life, we may sometimes think that these things are the sole purpose in life and thus, we end up forgetting our true goal – Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him). Thus, it is for this reason that I’tikaf is referred to as

“The spring of life in a world struck with the drought of negligence of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him).”

I’tikaf indeed rejuvenates the soul and gives a fresh breath to life. In addition, we can once again find ourselves and our Lord Allah Ta’ala and spiritually return back to Him before we are forced to return back to Him when our soul separates from our body (death).

The period of I’tikaf is the best time to force one’s self to sit and think and reflect on the self and the world around; the period of the I’tikaf is the best time to forget the worries of the transient world and to return to nurturing the soul and linking oneself with the Creator of the soul; the period of the I’tikaf is the best time to return back to Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) in true repentance for our sins committed through the year and to give our souls the spiritual strength desperately needed to live a spiritual and pure life in this challenging world.

The Messenger of Allah ( Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam) observed, I'tikâf and the Muslims have on the whole adhered to it. It has become a regular feature of the month of Ramadhân and a confirmed practice with the devout and the faithful.

Hazrat Ayesha (Radiallâhu anha) relates that "Rasulullâh. Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam regularly observed I'tikâf during the last ten days of Ramadhân till the end of his life. After him, his wives maintained the tradition." (Hadith-Bukhari)

It is related by Hazrat Abû Huraira (Radiallâhu anhu) that

"Rasulullâh Sallallâhu 'alayhi wasallam observed I'tikâf for ten days every year in the month of Ramadhân. In the year he passed away he observed it for twenty days." (Hadith-Bukhari)

The Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him s family) is reported to have said:

"The persons who secludes himself (in the Masjid in I'tikaf) in true faith and hope (for the reward of Allah), all of his previous sins shall be forgiven." (Kanzul Ummal, Hadith 24007)

3 TYPES OF ITIKAF

WAAJIB (Compulsory) Itikaf.

This Itikaf becomes compulsory when a person makes it obligatory upon himself. An example of this is, when a person makes a vow to Allah that if Allah fulfills a certain wish of his, he will undertake to perform so many days Itikaf. In this case the moment his wish is fulfilled, Itikaf becomes compulsory. A person may just make unconditional vow whereby he makes Itikaf Waajib upon himself for certain number of days. This becomes a Waajib duty on from that moment onward.

SUNNAH Itikaf.

This was the general practice of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and it means to seclude oneself inside the Masjid for the last ten days of Ramadhan.

NAFIL Itikaf.

There is no special time or specific number of days for Nafil Itikaf. A person may make niyyah for any number of days at any time, even for his whole life

Before engaging into Itikaf it is highly recommended to learn the rules relating to this important act of ibadah (worship). Please to do consult your local Ulama (Islamic Scholars) for more guidance.

For a detailed article on Itikaf and its rules please visit :

http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2010/08/itikaf.html

by Mohammedullah Qasmi

The phenomenon of ‘Interfaith Dialogue’ has gained importance in the world for decades due to many reasons; therefore it is an urgent need of the time to scrutinize it under the lens of Islamic Shariah.

Before venturing into the topic, it would be better to first see how the concept of ‘Interfaith Dialogue’ is defined by the scholars.

The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different faiths at both the individual and institutional levels.[1] It refers to a meeting of qualified members of different faiths in a formal setting to discuss religious opinions and practices they have in common, usually with the intention of expanding their common ground.[2]

Similarly, there is another term ‘Interreligious dialogue’ which is seen as a challenging process by which adherents of differing religious traditions encounter each other in order to break down the walls of division between themselves.[3]

In this way ‘interfaith dialogue’ is distinct from syncretism or alternative religion. But, this term is actually used by different people in different contexts as per their motives and vested interests. This is the reason that ‘Interfaith dialogue’ is criticized by some religious leaders as a conspiracy designed to merge all religions into one. Certain individuals and communities fear the loss or weakening of their religious identities as a result of engaging in dialogue and interacting with followers of other faiths.[4]

Background of Interfaith Dialogue

Understanding the people of other faith around you has been a natural process of human life as no human society can live in peace until it behaves tolerantly with his neighbours. However, at some juncture of history, there have been organized efforts to bring different religions closer to each other or even to intermix them. The Emperor Akbar (1542-1605), for example, established Deen-e-Ilahi in Mughal India, a diverse nation with people of various faith backgrounds, including Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity.[5]

Muslims, throughout their history, have been living with peace, tolerance and coexistence along with people of other faiths. The Muslim societies have always observed religious pluralism and the people of other faiths have always lived under their rule very peacefully and amicably. Right from the era of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) up to the Ottoman Caliphate and Mughal Empire in India Muslims provide historical example of generally peaceful coexistence with peoples of different faiths. The Jews, Christians and other non-Muslim communities enjoyed full rights and lived shoulder to shoulder with Muslims.[6]

The wave of religious hatred and intolerance erupted after the western powers started occupying and colonizing the Muslim lands. In order to establish their sovereignty they sowed the seeds of differences among the communities of different faiths and beliefs.[7]

It was the time when the need for interfaith dialogue was felt as the world was made so chaotic by struggle of powers, domination of materialism and lack of spirituality. Later after the colonial powers shrank to their holes and much later when the cold war between US and USSR calmed down, Islam again emerged as the first enemy of the West. The situation reached its height at 9/11 when US was attacked by so called Muslim terrorists. This state of affairs led many to think that Muslim and Western civilizations are going to clash.

At this juncture of time, the need for interfaith dialogue resurfaced with even greater gravity as this was the only way to avoid civilization clashes and prevent the world from destruction.

Concerns about the Motive of Interfaith Dialogue

Dialogue between individuals and communities of different faith is a natural phenomenon which takes place at stages of multi-faith communities. The process of dialogue forces people to examine and reconfirm their own religious identity and to strengthen their own beliefs while respecting those of others with patience and dignity.

Globalization and the invention of modern communication facilities have reduced the world to a village and the fastest transportation means provided an opportunity to people to interact with each other as never before. In this scenario, interfaith dialogue can provide a platform to understand and cooperate with each other and move forward peacefully.

The prevalent idea of interfaith dialogue is based upon the following principles: followers of all religions are free to lead lives in accordance with their own beliefs; and the moral values inherent in all religions — especially patience, tolerance and coexistence – are respected.

And in order to cooperate with the idea, in July 2008, a historic interfaith dialogue conference was inaugurated by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in Madrid, the capital of Spain, with the objective of solving world problems through concord instead of conflict. The .conference was attended by religious leaders of different faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism.[8]

However, there are serious concerns about the motives and hidden agenda under the banner of ‘interfaith dialogue’. According to some, this might be a conspiracy of the enemies of Islam to weaken the attachment of Muslims with their religion as they see it the biggest hurdle in the way of their imperialism expansions. Usually such dialogues are arranged with so-called Muslim intellectuals who are not firm in their religious knowledge and belief and thus fall prey to the hidden agenda.[9]

These concerns are intensified by the dual policies of the Western powers and contradictions between their words and deeds. On one side they supervise interfaith dialogue and on the other hand they attack Islam and Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad and the Quran are blasphemed in their lands and they are not ready to punish the culprits. This has created doubts in Muslim minds that these ‘staged’ interfaith dialogues are not but political strategies to serve their own ends.

Islam and Interfaith Dialogue

 

Nevertheless, the phenomenon of interfaith dialogue, whatever motive behind may be, cannot be ignored by Muslims. If such dialogues will not be attended by proficient Muslim scholars it might be hijacked by incompetent persons who will consequently cause harm to Islam and Muslims. Therefore, it is the need of the hour for competent Ulama to take the lead and represent the true face of Islam. It is not only requirement of the time which cannot be overlooked; rather it poses great challenge which they have to face boldly.

In order to understand the view of Islamic Shariah about ‘interfaith dialogue’, it is imperative to learn the basic principles in this regard:

(1) Islam is the only Religion Acceptable to Allah: Though all religions of the world claim to be true, but it is only Islam which stands as final and perfect religion established on strong evidences and solid foundations. As Muslims, we must have firm belief that Islam is the only religion acceptable to Allah and it is the only way of life which can guarantee success of human being in this world and their salvation in the hereafter. As the Quran said:

{إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلامُ}

“Truly, the (recognized) religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” [3:19]

{وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلامِ دِيناً فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ}

“Whoever seeks a faith other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [3:85]

(2) Syncretism or unification of religions is absolutely unacceptable in Islam: The ridiculous theory of Syncretism or unification of religions unacceptable in Islam for reasons. The foremost among them is that this is unnatural and in no time in the history of mankind have they been adhering one set of beliefs. It is so destined by Allah that people will never be converted into a single community, as He says:

{ولو شاء ربك لجعل الناس أمة واحدة ولا يزالون مختلفين}

 “Had your Lord willed, He would have made all the people a single community. But, they will continue in their differences.”  [11:119]

(3) Coexistence but not Compromise: The interfaith dialogue should be free from any kind of compromise on the part of religious rulings even to the minor issues. A tolerance which prevents from speaking the truth or favour un-Islamic thoughts cannot be allowed. The Quran describes that the disbelievers wish Muslims to be flexible, but it is unacceptable:

{ودوا لوتدھن فیدھنون}

They wish that you become flexible (in your faith), so that they should become flexible. [68:9]

{ولا تركنوا إلى الذين ظلموا فتمسكم النار}

“And do not incline towards the wrongdoers, lest the Fire should catch you.” [11:113]

The chapter al-Kafiroon (109) from the Quran was revealed in response to proposal of the disbelievers to strike a compromise deal seeking Muslims to worship their Gods and binding them to worship Allah in return, but the Quran very emphatically rejected it and said:

“Say, O disbelievers, I do not worship that which you worship, nor do you worship the One whom I worship.  And neither I am going to worship that which you have worshipped, nor will you worship the One whom I worship. For you is your faith, and for me, my faith.” [109:2-6][10]

Common Grounds for Interfaith Dialogue

Dialogue, or peaceful negotiation, is the path prescribed by Islam. The Holy Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) set standards for dialogue with people of other faith. The Quran encouraged Muslims to talk to the Jews and Christian on matters which are common:

{قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شيئاً وَلا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضاً أَرْبَاباً مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ} [آل عمران: 64]

“Say, O people of the Book, come to a word common between us and between you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take others as Lords instead of Allah. Then, should they turn back, say, .Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [3:65] 

The Prophet Muhammad advocated reconciliation with other religions. In Makkah in 615 CE, he sent Muslim fleeing persecution from the Meccans to find refuge with the Christian king of Abyssinia, current-day Ethiopia, as a signal of mutual trust with Christianity. Later when he migrated to Madinah, he signed peace treaty with the Jewish tribes and later with the tribes of Makkah in 6th year of Hijra. He also had religious discussions with the Christians of Najran in his holy mosque. He also wrote letters to the rulers in and around Arabia in order to convey the message of Islam.

So, following the footsteps shown by the Quran and Hadith, Muslims can engage themselves in dialogue with the people of other faith on the issues which form a common ground for them and which may help in promoting peace and enable Muslims to represent Islam to others.

(a) There is no Compulsion in Religion

First of all, Islam rejected forced conversion and gave people full right to freely choose what they adhere. Islam regarded freedom of expression a birth right of human being and termed force and oppression as unfair and forbidden. The Quran very clearly declared:

"There is no compulsion in Faith. The correct way has become distinct from the erroneous. Now, whoever rejects the Taghut (the Rebel, the Satan) and believes in Allah has a firm grasp on the strongest ring that never breaks. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [2:257]

(b) Tolerance Towards other Religions

People have differences in belief, religion, culture etc, but while following their religion, they have to have mutual respect for others and discover a common bond between them, which shows them all to be human beings. Islam did not create any ill-will and hatred in its followers about other religions and their leaders; rather it pushed forth their love and strengthened their relation with other religions by various means. Sometime, it admitted the greatness of the leaders and prophets of other communities saying:

"We did raise a messenger among every people, with the message." [16:36]

It also forbade Muslims to blaspheme the sacred personalities of other religions saying: “Do not revile those whom they invoke other than Allah, lest they should revile Allah in transgression in ignorance.” [6:109] 

The Quran presented a model of high grade tolerance that it regarded all the prophets and messengers of the Jews and the Christians as true prophets sent down by Allah. The Quran says:

"Surely, We have revealed to you as We have revealed to Noah and to the prophets after him." [4:163]

And, it regarded the original books believed by the Jews and the Christians as divine revelation from Allah:

"Surely we have sent down the Torah, in which there was guidance and light." (5:44) "We gave him the Injil (Gospel) having guidance and light therein, and confirming the Torah that was (revealed) before it; guidance and a lesson for the God-fearing." (5:46)

Thus it extended the hand of friendship towards the Judaism and Christianity which were the well-known and prominent religions of the age. As far as other religions and nations are concerned, it declared that there were prophets from Allah to other nations and communities:

"And there was no community without a Warner having passed among them." (35:24)


Concisely, it secured the honour of the sacred figures of other religions in the eyes of Muslims forever and stopped Muslims absolutely to abuse any religious leader. Thus, it established the foundation of universal brotherhood, sympathy and tolerance which was extinct before the advent of Islam.

(c) Moral and Ethical Values 

The moral and ethical values like justice and fairness, tolerance and patience, good conduct have been much emphasized by Islam. These values can form a common ground for interfaith dialogue. 

Here are some references from the Quran:

Justice and transparency: "But if you judge, judge between them with justice. Surely, Allah loves those who do justice." (5:42) At another place it says: "Allah does not forbid you as regards those who did not fight you on account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that you do good to them, and deal justly with them. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice." (60:8) 

Fulfilling Promises: "And fulfil the covenant, surely the covenants shall be asked about (on the Day of Reckoning)." (17:34) It asserted: "So, fulfil the treaty with them up to their term, surely Allah loves the God-Fearing."  (9:4)

Good conduct: "Good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with what is best, and you will see that the one you had mutual enmity with him will turn as if he were a close friend." (41:34)

"Allah does not forbid you as regards those who did not fight you on account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that you do good to them, and deal justly with them. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice." (60:8)

"The recompense of evil is evil like it. Then the one who forgives and opts for compromise has his reward undertaken by Allah. Surely, He does not like the unjust." (42:40)

(d) Dialogue as means of Dawah 

Dialogue can be utilized as one of the best means to convey the message of Islam to people of other faith. As nowadays, the non-Muslims have much misconceptions about Islam and Muslims which are caused by their insufficient knowledge of Islam. So this opportunity can be utilized to remove the misconceptions and to transmit the true spirit of Islam to the world. Islam is based on the principle of dawah which is another name for peaceful negotiation. The Quran itself describes how to make this dialogue fruitful:

“Invite (people) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good counsel, and argue with them in the best of manners. Surely, your Lord knows best the one who deviates from His way, and He knows best the ones who are on the right path.”  [16:125]

Islam asserts that our conversation with others should be carried wisely and in most gracious way. Listening to their objections, the point should be made in such a way that appeals to their minds.

Conclusion & Summary

To sum up, these are the main points which should be kept in mind in order to understand the concept of Islam about interfaith dialogue:

·         Islam favours divine revolution by striving for a society in which spiritual, ethical, and human values are cherished. Islam advocates an atmosphere where peace, tolerance and respect prevail. It wishes to create an atmosphere where disputes are resolved without the use of violence. This is the desired world of Islam and such a world can be established only through peaceful dialogue.

·         The phenomenon of interfaith dialogue cannot be ignored and left for incompetent individuals and institutions to misrepresent Islam and Muslims; rather it should be headed by proficient Muslim scholars.

·         Interfaith dialogue should be fitted in the framework of Islamic Shariah and no compromise should be made on the part of religious fundamentals and its teachings.

·         Through interfaith dialogue, the common grounds of ethical and social values can be explored which help in promoting peace, harmony and tolerance.

·         Interfaith dialogue forums should be used by competent Muslim scholars to represent the true face of Islam and to remove the misconceptions spread against Islam.


[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interfaith_dialog
[2] What is Interfaith Dialogue? http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110315104231AAnMRJV
[3] Sandi Fults, What is Interreligious Dialogue? http://globalfaithinaction.org/what-is-interreligious-dialogue
[4] Qazi Abdul Qadeer Khamosh, Conspiracy or cure? An Islamic perspective on interfaith dialogue, 27 April 2010 http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27696
[5] Shaikh Muhammad Ikram, Rood-e-Kausar, p 85-131, New Delhi 2003
[6] For details see Civilization of the Arabs by Gustav Le Bon
[7] Maulana Hussain Ahamd Madani, Naqsh-e-Hayat, Deoband
[8]  Saudi Gazette, 17 July 2008, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008071712004
[9] Mufti Rasheed Ahmad Balakoti, Monthly Bayyinat, Sep 2008, Jamia Banuria Karachi
[10] Muhammad bin Jareer Tabri, Jami’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran, 22/662

Note: The translations of the Quranic verses were quoted from the Translations of the Quran by Mufti Taqi Usmani

Presented in a seminar on “Shariah Methods of Interfaith Dialogue” dated April 22-24, 2013 at Seminar Hall, Dept of Arabic, University of Delhi, Delhi. The Seminar was Organized by:
ISESCO, Rabat, Morocco
In Collaboration & Coordination of:
Islamic Fiqh Academy (INDIA), New Delhi
Dept of Arabic, University of Delhi, Delhi